


His Little Spider

by nonsense_noodle



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-18
Updated: 2014-11-18
Packaged: 2018-02-28 02:07:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2715023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonsense_noodle/pseuds/nonsense_noodle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All twelve-year-old Lucie's ever wanted was to have a family. When she's finally adopted by a man named Peter Parker, she's the happiest she could ever be. But Peter's kinda weird. She's not allowed to go into his bedroom, help with his laundry, and she has to keep a cell phone on her at all times. Who is he, really? Is he just a freelance photographer who happens to have some pretty decent parenting skills, or is he the famous web-slinger who might be more involved with her past than she realizes?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unexpected Announcement

"So, how'd it go?" I glanced at Elise as she sat down on her creaky old bed with a sigh. The other girls in the room instantly stopped what they were doing at her entrance. Kate whirled around on her second-level bunk, which made Jenny look up from her headphones. All eyes were on her. Elise, unfortunately, looked thoroughly put out.

"Okay, I think, but it's a really old couple and the lady looks like she's got maybe a week left of life... I was hoping when Miss Richards told me I had an interview, I'd have a shot at... you know..."

I nodded sympathetically. Kate just rolled her eyes, while Jenny got up and put a comforting hand on Elise's shoulder, but she just flopped onto her back with another loud exhale.

We all knew what she'd had been hoping for, because we all hoped for it ourselves: a forever home. The family or person who would take us home permanently, away from a life of foster homes and halfway houses and never really having a last name. At least, with Kate's exception. She liked it just fine here.

All the other girls at Greenwood House for Young Girls liked to say that they wanted it the most, but it was the honest truth that everyone knew just how desperate I was to find my family. When I was little I used to dream up what they'd look like, what they're house smelled like, how big my room was and if they had a pet cat or not. Unlike some, who were happier they didn't know and more importantly didn't have, I was chomping at the bit to find my family.

But until then, I lived here, in a dinky little bedroom meant for two but housed four. There was Katherine, an African-American girl who had been removed from her mom's custody when she was two after she left her alone for a week, Jennifer, a fiery redhead who'd been living on the streets until a police officer picked her up, and Elise, who was, like me, a foundling. Her mom had left her at the hospital and never come back. We were quite the odd bunch, but had struck up a friendship of circumstance that worked for all of us.

We were all creative in our own ways, and we'd found outlets to keep ourselves occupied and from going insane. Katherine had the most beautiful singing voice I'd ever seen: soulful and jazzy, one that you couldn't get tired of listening to even if you tried. Jenny would burn a few karaoke CD's for her during the week, she'd take her old busted stereo to the nearest subway station and sing her little lungs out. She'd take requests and if she was feeling brave do a little a capella. Jenny did street art. She'd gotten into it when she saw a guy in Harlem doing galaxy paintings for ten bucks, and taught herself. Soon after that we'd pooled together our meager allowances and bought her a real airbrushing kit. Everything she owned had some kind of design on it. She was a huge hit, and most of the time did it for free. Elise took dance classes whenever she could pawn the money off of us. She was unbelievably flexible and graceful, and her most recent exploit was ballet. Last winter we'd gone and seen The Nutcracker, and she wouldn't shut up about it for almost a moth afterwards. Besides the classical stuff, she could break it down with the big boys like nobody's business.

My niche ended up being photography. I'd tried sketching, but found myself taking photos of things to draw later. I quickly abandoned the sketchpad and fell in love with the lens. I'd found an old digital with a slightly cracked screen in the dumpster behind a pawn shop, and it had been my best friend. I'd print the photos at the library and kept them taped inside an old notebook. I wasn't very good, unlike the girls, but I loved it.

"Lucie!" I heard someone yelling and running up the stairs towards our room.

"Yeah?" I sat up at Blue, a ten-year-old with hair that matched her name, skidded across the hardwood floor of the hall, grabbing the doorframe as she went.

"Luce, Miss Richards wants to see you." Her eyes were wide with excitement, and her mouth was turned up and an even bigger than usual smile.

"And...?" Katherine raised her eyebrows as she climbed down from her bunk over Elise's bed.

"And she had a folder with her when she told me. I think-" I bolted upright and dashed past her, down the hall and slid down the banister. I hit the ground running, and almost ran smack into the old cleaning lady, who said a number of probably very nasty things in Spanish at me as I tried to apologize, and kept moving. 

"Lucie Clarissa!" I froze mid-stride and turned around sheepishly. Standing there, in her paint-splattered jeans and AC/DC t-shirt, was Miss Abigail Richards, the head of Greenwood House. She was in her early to mid-thirties, with mousy brown hair and eyes. Her face was kind, but it wasn't a great idea to get on her bad side.

"What did I tell you about running?" She arched her eyebrows at me. Somehow, whenever I did something bad she made me feel like I was three instead of thirteen.

"To not do it because one of these days I'm going to slip and crack my head open?" I smiled, hoping she wasn't going to suspend my computer privileges like she'd done last month.

"At least you had your ears open that time." She let out a sigh. "I was going to call you anyway; I've got some news."

My heart was hammering the inside of my ribs as I followed Miss Richards into her office. We called it an office, but it wasn't really. Apparently when they had been first renovating the building to be inhabitable this had been a really big pantry. It was still pretty cramped, but they'd managed to squeeze in a small desk, a set of cheap metal filing cabinets and three cushy chairs. I sat down in one of these, and she sat down in the one on the opposite side. She set the folder to her left and it took all of my self-control not to grab it and leaf through each and every paper.

"Now, Lucie, we both know how long you've been here. I've watched you grow up and become a beautiful little lady, and I almost consider you my daughter." She clasped her hands on the desk. "But we both know how difficult it's been placing you with a family."

I glanced down, my excitement waning into fear. What if they were sending me away to someone else? Oh god...

"So, I've contacted Social Services and we've decided to try something a little different." My heart was still jackhammering as I nodded. Please oh please don't make me leave.

"I know you're used to being placed with couples, but this gentleman has been trying quite hard to adopt, and I think that he'd be a perfect match for you."

My heartbeat stopped. The likelihood of getting adopted - and I mean really adopted - by a single parent was usually a lot higher than a couple, especially once you got past five.

"But... he's not married?"

She shook her head. "No girlfriend either. He lives in an apartment in Queens. He submitted some photos as a part of his file and it's nice; you'll like it."

My heart instantly went from stopped to bunny rabbit, ricocheting off the inside of my ribcage in excitement. I started bouncing up and down along with it, barely able to contain my glee.

"He'll be coming by tomorrow, and I want you on your best behavior. I know that for most of the homes it simply wasn't a good fit, but we want to make it as easy as we can for him to like you. Alright?"

I nodded, afraid that if I spoke I'd wake up from this all-too-amazing dream. I set the file back down on the desk, smoothing the papers with my trembling fingers.

"Good. Now go upstairs, and get the message around that dinner's in twen-" I almost knocked the chair over in excitement as I ran out of the office. 

I was finally on my way to belonging.


	2. Meeting

I sat on my bed, fiddling with my gold heart locket nervously. I'd gotten myself cleaned up and ready hours ago. I was wearing my only pair of good jeans (as in, jeans that didn't have marker doodles or tears in the knee) and a Spider-Man t-shirt that I'd gotten from a school fundraiser. 

The girls had all decided to go to the Teen Center a dozen blocks away, leaving me to wait in nerve-wracking silence for Miss Richards to come and get me. They'd all given me encouraging words, but Elise's had stuck with me the most.

EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON

"You should get going. Don't be trapped inside this dinky old room because of me." I smiled at Elise as she finished tying her shoe reluctantly. Kate and Jenny were already downstairs. She walked to the door, and paused, looking back at me.

"You sure you got this?" She looked worried. This would be the first interview either of us had had without the other being there, waiting.

I nodded, knitting my eyebrows together. "Yeah! I mean, come on, what could happen?" 

She walked over and hugged me.

"Just... don't get your hopes too high."

 

She'd never said that before. Did she honestly think this wasn't going to work? I mean, it seemed pretty likely...

"Lucie? Could you come down?" I heard Miss Richards call.

I swallowed and, forcing myself not to sprint, walked with measured steps down the hall to the staircase. Girls poked their heads out of their rooms, watching me as I went. It was sort of a tradition, and I'd participated eagerly in watching, but after my first few interviews, I realized just how nerve-wracking it could be. I trotted down the stairs to stand next to her. 

"Relax, Luce! He's probably just as excited as you are." She said that before every interview. She put a hand on my shoulder and led me into the living room.

And there he was. I could only see the back of his head, since he was standing looking out the window. 

"Mr. Parker?" He turned around, and my heart went even faster, if that was possible. He smiled excitedly, and his eyes seemed to want to ask a thousand and one questions but didn't. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Hey! So this is...?"

"Yes, this is Lucie. Luce, why don't you say hello?"

"Hi." I said quietly. All my vivacious energy seemed to almost vanish at the most inconvenient times, and this was one of them. I held my hand out, trying to seem less tense than I was.

"Nice to meet you Lucie! You can call me Peter. Nice t-shirt, by the way." He took my hand and shook it gently. It was warmer than mine. He noticed immediately. "Jeez, you're cold!" He took my other hand and held it in his, squeezing them both. 

"I'm always kind of cold. And thanks." I said, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'll be sure to get plenty of blankets for your room." My heart leapt, and he let go of my hands. I sat down on one of the couches, and het sat on the one opposite me. "So, Lucie, you're twelve?"

I nodded "Yep. My birthday's May 16. How old are you?" I blurted.

"Lucie!" I heard Miss Richards say admonishingly, and I suddenly felt embarrassed.

He smiled. "No, it's fine. I'm thirty-two, but I consider myself forever twenty-nine."

We both laughed, and there was a small silence. Then Miss Richards said, "Lucie's quite the photographer. Aren't you, Luce?" Peter's head snapped up in interest. I grab at the opportunity to get it back.

"Yeah! I don't have a very good camera but-"

"Could you show me?" His face was lit up with curiosity and excitement.

"Uh..." I looked am Miss Richards, who nodded. "Um, okay. I'll go get them!" 

I sprinted up the stairs and into the room. Reaching down to the space between the wall and my mattress, I pulled out the notebook. I flipped through as I speed walked back down, trying to pick and choose my best ones. Then again I probably wasn't the best judge, since I had been the one who'd taken them.

I sat down next to Peter, and opened the notebook. I flipped a few pages and pointed to one at the top of a man wrestling with a dog. "This one's one of the first I ever took. The dog belonged to one of my friends from school. I went to his dad's shop to do homework and their dog got out. When we found him, well..." I shrugged. He didn't say anything, so I kept going.

"A few years ago we went to Liberty Island. When the ferry passed by I took this one. I was really nervous because I didn't want to break the camera!" I laughed, and so did he. 

I flipped through, showing him a few more, slowly feeling more and more comfortable. This was different from the other interviews I'd had. Those had felt stiff and awkward, as if I was presenting an incomplete school project to my class. This felt like sharing with Elise, or joke wars with Katherine. It felt like home.

"We went to this big New Year's party at Charlie's in Brooklyn last year. They had this big neon sign up... have you ever been there?"

He nodded. "I love that place! They have some of the best burgers."

"Well, you two certainly seem to be getting along!" Miss Richards came back into the room, and that was when I realized that she'd left. I had been so absorbed that I hadn't even noticed. 

"Yes we have! We're having a great time." He put an arm around my shoulder in an almost protective way. I smiled.

"Well, unfortunately I'm going to have to call the fun off."

"Why?" I couldn't help but whine a little. I didn't want him to go.

"It's alright, Luce! I'll be back soon, and this time you'd better have that bag of yours packed." Peter ruffled my hair and stood up. "I believe there's some paperwork I have to fill...?"

"Yes, follow me if you don't mind." As the two of them walked away, he turned around and gave me a wink and a thumbs up.

Once the were out of sight I scrambled up and followed them stealthily, up to the closed office door. I pressed my ear to the keyhole and listened.

"-amazing. I never expected that she'd take to you so well!" Miss Richards said.

"She's amazing. I mean, if it weren't for the gratuity period I'd take her home right now!"

My heart almost exploded from joy. He liked me! He really, truly liked me! 

That was all I needed to hear. I skipped down the hall and up the stairs back to the room, where I flopped onto the bed with a happy sigh


	3. Photo Courtesy

I thought I'd have a full afternoon to savor the happy high I was on. I laid there on my bed, playing and replaying and imagining how living with Mr. Parker... no, Peter, he didn't like it when I called him that.

Midway through planning how my bedroom was going to be set up the downstairs door exploded and I hear a high pitched shriek of "LUCIEEEEEE!!!" I sat up, alarmed, and what sounded like a herd of horses came galloping up the stairs. Jenny was the first one in, and she scrambled up the ladder to her bunk and flipped upside-down so she was looking at me. Elise sat cross-legged next to me, somehow managing to get her shoes of between here and the door, and Kate leaned on the ladder, peering at me through the slate.

"What happened? Was he nice? Was he old? Did you show him your photos? What's his hair color? How old is h- OUCH!!!" Jenny stopped mid-question as Kate yanked on her hair.

"Good god, girl, give her a second to respond!"

"Come on, Kate, she's this close," she held two of her fingers close together, barely touching, "to getting her forever home. That's something to freak out about!"

"Well you don't have to interrogate her!" Elise chimed in.

Kate rolled her eyes. "I was in the middle of talki-"

"GUYS! Maybe if you all SHUT YOUR FACES I could TELL YOU what happened?!?" I hollered over the din. Silence ensued.

"Sorry." Jenny muttered, dialing back her enthusiasm, but still with the gleam in her eye.

"I know you're excited! And to answer your questions, he was really cool, about middle aged, didn't have a girlfriend-"

"Seriously?" Kate's tone was skeptical, as per usual.

"-he LOVED my photos, he's actually a freelance photographer, and he's got brown hair." I waited for any other questions.

"What's his name?" Elise asked.

"Peter Parker. He doesn't want me calling him Mr. Parker, though. He had me call him Peter. It was really odd."

"Wait." I looked at Kate quizzically. She looked as if she was connecting the dots to something. She went across the room and clambered up onto her bunk. "What was his name again?"

"Peter Parker. Why?" I scooted to the edge of the bed, craning my neck to see her better.

"Got it! Here, catch." Her curly brown hair bounced as she rolled over and threw a folded newspaper at me. I caught it, and looked at the front page. It was a spectacular photo of Spider Man, swinging between two buildings, following a police chase. it looked as if it had been taken from the top of a building.

"It's a nice picture." I said, not sure what this had to do with anything.

"Notice something?" She asked, smirking. I stared at the picture hard, trying to find something that could possibly have caught Kate's - and my - attention.

I shook my head. "I don't see anything! It's got decent lighting from this angle... What?"

She sighed "Look at the photo credit!" I did, and was pleasantly surprised.

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF PETER PARKER

 

"He's a freelancer for the Bugle?" That newspaper was the best one in town, second only to the New York Times, because it had way more local news.

"Yup."

"Woooooow..." Jenny was in awe. Elise held her hand out, and i gave her the paper.

Now, all the compliments that he'd given me that day were multiplied by a hundred. He was published! He got photos of freaking SPIDER MAN. That guy was next-to-impossible to shoot, considering he was a very much mobile target. I'd tried to duplicate some of the photos I saw, but most of the time ended up with a blurry, out of focus image that looked more like a splatter painting than a photograph.

And I had a chance of being his daughter...

"ALRIGHT LADIES." I heard Miss Richards yell from the first floor. "DINNER'S DONE, AND IT'S LASAGNA."

There were thudding noises from the floor above us and from down the hall. Kate jumped effortlessly off her bed, while Jenny rolled off and landed on her face. The two sprinted out. Elise was on their heels, before pausing at the door. "You coming Luce?"

I glanced back at the photo, nodded, and she shared her day with me as we ran down.

"They're having tryouts for a shortened production of Swan Lake in a week. I'm going to try out, but some of those girls are coming from across the river. I don't know if-"

"You'll do fine! I'll go with you if you want." We skidded into the dining room with a disapproving look from Miss Richards. I smiled, and she rolled her eyes before handing us our plates. I helped myself to a piece of lasagna and a few spoonfuls of corn, as Elise scooped on some salad next to hers.

"That would be great. Then again, you might not be here once it swings around!" She elbowed me smiling. I laughed and kicked her lightly, a balloon of excitement expanding in my chest.


	4. Waiting Game

“One month to school!” Elise chirped at me from on top of the monkey bars. We were hanging out at the local park, which we did a lot. I’d come down with a raging case of cabin fever, and Elise decided it was high time she try to run it out of me.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t happening. “Which means two weeks since the interview.” I threw the woodchip I’d been fiddling with dejectedly. I was certain: I’d gotten my hopes up, and now my hopes and dreams were burning. Just like they always did.

“Luce…” Jenny started to say something in a sad tone, but I cut her off.

“He’s never coming back for me! Ugh.” I walked away a few steps, to one of the smaller swing sets, and sat down, swinging back and forth. “I mean, yeah I was never technically his…”

“...but you still feel abandoned?” I looked at Kate, who was leaning against one of the metal poles holding the structure up. She looked concerned but sympathetic.

“Yep.”

“You’ve got to keep in mind, he’s really young! People can change their minds.”

“I just wish I’d know for SURE he wasn’t coming back. It would just make me feel better.”

“Okay,” she dropped off the top of the metal framework and crossed her arms, “I am not going to have my best friend pouting as if she just broke up with her boyfriend.”

“You’ve never had a boyfriend!”

She rolled her eyes. “Details, details. But you want to know what fixes everything?”

I couldn’t help but crack a smile. She was really giving it her all. “I don’t know, what?”

“Ice cream. Come on, I’ve still got my buy one get one free pass for Charlie’s.”

Charlie’s Diner and Ice Cream Parlor in Brooklyn was one of our favorite places to go. It was a little tucked-away place, along the river. The whole white-and-red interior always smelled delicious burgers and fries in the summer, cinnamon and chocolate in the winter. Charlie Sullivan, the founder and owner, was a former tenant of Greenwood House, and had a soft spot for the four of us. 

“Hiya Trish!” Jenny called, waving her hands wildly towards the back kitchen.

The girl manning the front counter rolled her eyes. She looked new. “Hey, Charlie! You got company.”

Charlie smiled as she emerged from the back. “Well, if it isn’t my four best customers!” She pulled the bandanna out of her short blonde hair and rolled the sleeves of her shirt back down her tattooed arms. “Haven’t seen you around here in quite some time, Jen. As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen any of you almost since last month!”

“Sorry, there’s more commissions in the city.” Jenny hopped up onto a bar stool and we each followed.

“What, you girls don’t love me anymore?”

“Of course not!” Elise said, but there was a twinkle in Charlie’s eye.

“I’m just teasing, Ellie. So, what can I get you?”

“Biggest ice cream sundae you’ve got. For Lucie.” Kate jerked her thumb at me.

“What’s wrong Luce? Gone through your first big break up already?” Charlie started scooping vanilla ice cream into a bowl. 

I shook my head, absently blowing a strand of hair out of my eyes. “I just keep expecting something good to happen, but it doesn’t.”

Charlie turned around with raised eyebrows. After a pause, she said, “Adoptee?”

“Adoptee.” The girls said in unison. I crossed my arms irritably.

“it’s not even that! It’s just I hate the-”

“-not knowing? The anticipation of the maybe-probably-not?” She set the bowls down in front of us. I nodded with a sigh, letting my head slump onto the counter.

“Well, there’s only one thing you can really do about that.” 

“What?” I took the spoon she offered me and took a bite. It usually tasted phenomenal, but there was a sourness in the pit of my stomach that didn’t seem to want me to enjoy it.

“Let. It. Go. I never got adopted, look at me! Running my own buisness, plenty of friends, and no social problems whatsoever. The bottom line is: you have to make your own family. We’ve all got our own perfect idea of what a family should look like, but perfection doesn’t happen in the real world. Maybe he’s adopt you, maybe he won’t, but you can’t let your entire life hang on this one little thread. Okay?”

I sighed, and thought about what she said. Maybe Charlie was right. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“Well, that’s all I can ask. Now, eat up; ice cream’s no good melted.”

After the little pep talk, and the subsequent delicious ice cream that came with it, I was feeling much better.

“See? Just chill out.” Elise patted my back and trotted ahead of the three of us to the front door. “I mean, it could fall through and never happen.”

I shrugged, tugging the door open and holding it for the girls. I shucked my shoes and started to follow Elise to the Rec Room when I heard someone very distinctly say, “Mr. Parker?”

I froze, and listened. Elise frantically shushed Jenny and Kate.

“Oh, well I wasn’t expecting… no this isn't bad timing at all!... of course she’s here… are you sure? And all the paperwork’s been signed? Oh this is wonderful, she’ll be so excited… Yes, well, you take care now, goodbye.” I heard the click of the receiver, and my heart soared.

“Lucie? Where are- oh THERE you are, I’ve been looking for you all day… Lucie?” Miss Richard’s tone changed from excited to concerned.

My mind was a thousand miles away. He’d said yes he’d said yes HE’D SAID YES. This was it, I was finally getting the home I’d been dreaming of… but what if she hadn’t been talking about me?

“Was that for me?” I whispered, not trusting my own voice. I could feel Elise’s eyes on me, just as excited as I was. Oh please please PLEASE be for me…

Miss Richards paused, and my heart faltered. What if it hadn’t been for me?

“Lucie, pack your bags. Mr. Parker will be here tomorrow.” Her face bore the biggest grin I’d ever seen.

The world suddenly became very small. I could hear someone talking to me in a muffled voice, but not really. Then reality set in: I. Was. Going. To. Have. A. Family.

“NO! TELL ME YOU’RE NOT JOKING BECAUSE IF YOU ARE THIS ISN’T FUNNY OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!” I screamed, bouncing up and down like a spring. For the first time in my life, tears sprang into my eyes not out of sadness, but out of pure joy. I spun around and tackled Elise, and I felt Kate and Jenny latch on. All of us were screaming and yelling unintelligible sentences and I was crying and we were probably annoying the heck out of the neighbors, but none of it mattered because my world was changing forever.


End file.
